During the Zhou Dynasty peace talks, Yang Mingzhi was a middle-aged man with a steady appearance, but there was always a trace of sadness lingering between his brows.
Back in the main hall, it was the Yang family who took the lead in urging His Majesty to declare war on the Chu State, but now the Zhou State has completely lost, and the Yang family will naturally bear the blame.
This time is different from usual.
This time Chu State was surprisingly poor!
After winning this battle, why don't they ask for money from death?
In the end, the Yang family was not responsible for the infamy of ceding land and paying compensation.
The Yang family was originally the most elite literary family in the Zhou Kingdom, and all the talented people in the Zhou Kingdom believed in this. After returning home, the prestige of the Yang family may have plummeted in the hearts of the talented people in the Zhou Kingdom.
He also knew what His Majesty wanted to do. It was simply that the Yang family was becoming more and more powerful in the court, and His Majesty had regarded the Yang family as a threat.
The way of the emperor, the art of balance.
Nowadays, the Yang family not only controls the court, but even the prince is born to the queen, the legitimate daughter of the Yang family. The Yang family's heart is partial to the prince, and the prince's heart is also partial to the Yang family.
If the prince succeeds to the throne, then the power of the Yang family as ministers of Conglong will inevitably increase again. How can your majesty allow the Yang family to stand out?
Therefore, before His Majesty takes the throne, he will definitely spare no effort to suppress the Yang family to prevent the Yang family from monopolizing power.
I'm afraid that before the war started, His Majesty had already imagined two solutions:
Either win a great victory over the Chu State, so that the Zhou State can regain its lost territory, and your Majesty's reputation will be remembered in the history books.
Or be defeated by the Chu State, so that the crime of military disaster can be blamed on the Yang family, and this opportunity can be used to suppress the Yang family with all their strength.
The sad thing is that even if the Yang family wants to join forces with other aristocratic families at this time, it will be difficult.
The Yang family has been too proud over the years, and the benefits gained from the court have been too generous. Once the Yang family falls, there will be a lot of vacancies waiting for others to divide it up. Other aristocratic families are probably waiting for this moment.
It is easy to avoid open spears on the battlefield, but hard to avoid hidden arrows in temples.
But now, he had no choice but to take it one step at a time.
Thinking of this, Yang Mingzhi had no choice but to step forward and said: "The foreign ministers' peace talks are bringing Yang Mingzhi to see your majesty."
Emperor Chu looked at Yang Mingzhi who was bowing down in the palace and said, "The messenger is standing flat."
Yang Mingzhi said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The wise king, who was sitting at the table next to the Emperor of Chu, said: "The envoy also knows that our country of Chu suffered natural and man-made disasters last year, and now it has experienced another war. The national treasury is not rich, and it cannot spend too much money to support the envoy again."
There is another dust-washing banquet. Today’s celebration banquet will be combined with the dust-washing banquet to entertain guests from afar. What does the envoy think?"
Yang Mingzhi looked at the wise king's kind eyes, sighed, and bowed: "Foreign ministers should do as the Romans do in their own country."
Now, how could he not understand that this was a threat given to them by the Chu State?
The Chu State defeated them so much that the Zhou State's celebration banquet and the cleansing banquet were combined into one. How ironic is this?
The Zhou State was able to find an excuse to start a war with the Chu State regardless of face. Now that the Zhou State was defeated, the Chu State would naturally no longer save face for the Zhou State.
After the envoy sat down, Emperor Chu asked: "Is the envoy going well?"
Yang Mingzhi, who was the envoy this time, raised his hands and said: "Reporting to His Majesty the Emperor, everything goes well."
There was nothing I could do but it didn't go smoothly. Before I even left the country, I encountered the Chu army that was still besieging the city. I was escorted back by Chu all the way...
As long as the Chu army had no idea about the dozen or so men in their group, they would be absolutely safe.
Emperor Chu nodded and said: "No matter how the dispute between our country Chu and Zhou continues, it will ultimately be the internal strife of one family. Now that the grasslands are unified, the overall situation of the world is still unclear. We should put aside our mutual dissatisfaction and put the justice of our family and country first."
Yang Mingzhi cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, I have the same thoughts. Now that we are facing a powerful enemy, the most important plan is to jointly defend against foreign enemies. We, the State of Zhou, also come here to discuss peace with sincerity in abandoning our past grudges."
Emperor Chu said: "Since your country is so sincere, our Chu country is naturally too. Now that our Chu country's army has withdrawn from the border, the envoy should have seen the sincerity of our Chu country this time, right?"
Yang Mingzhi cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty puts the justice of the family and country first, and foreign ministers admire him."
Under normal circumstances, both parties will withdraw their troops only after the peace talks between the two parties have concluded and a contract has been signed with each other.
Whatever cannot be won at the negotiation table, the two sides will continue to fight for it on the battlefield.
But now it is no longer necessary for the Zhou State. The two sides are not evenly matched now, and the Chu State almost wins in a crushing manner.
Although Chu's army has retreated, if Zhou wants to go back on its word, the garrisoned border troops and the considerable number of thunderbolts in the hands of the border troops will not make it easier for them. Zhou has no way out now.
Negotiation is their only option.
You can't win on the battlefield, and you can't win at the negotiation table.
Haven’t you seen how honest the Zhou Dynasty’s envoys are now?
The last time I came here, there were tricky problems one after another, and the generals were trying to compete with each other.
Looking back now, he is as well-behaved as a little sheep, not daring to take a breath.
Wait until after three rounds of wine and five flavors of food.
Emperor Chu looked at Yang Mingzhi and said: "It is winter now, the time when all things rest, and the weather is colder than in previous years. It has been snowing in the past two days. From my point of view, this negotiation should still be carried out by one person."
A good time and auspicious day are the best."
Since Zhou was the defeated party, he didn't say much. He just raised his hands and said, "What your Majesty said is absolutely true. The foreign ministers naturally agree."
Emperor Chu smiled and said: "I heard that the State Council of Commerce has recently developed many new types of fireworks. I am afraid that the envoy will not be able to return to the country this year. Why not let's take a look at what the New Year in Kyoto, our country of Chu, looks like."
Yang Mingzhi cupped his hands and said, "It's a great honor for me, foreign minister."
Emperor Chu nodded and said: "Well, that's very good. Your country's peace talks have made everyone in Chu know about it, and I haven't had time to introduce my Chu country's peace envoys to your country."
Yang Mingzhi raised his head and said: "The foreign minister also wants to get acquainted, so that the relationship between us will not be too stiff during future negotiations."
At this moment, the envoy of the Chu State's peace talks stood up. The Emperor of Chu extended his hand and introduced him: "This is our chief envoy of the Chu State's peace talks, Lord Zheng Yuanzheng, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
"Eh..." Yang Mingzhi didn't react at all.
WTF?
Is the Minister of Hubu the official envoy of the peace talks?
This...this is simply unheard of.
Although it has never been explicitly stipulated that the Minister of Hubu cannot be the official envoy of peace negotiations, but... can the Minister of Hubu, who is in charge of the world's money and food, negotiate?
It's better to ask him to settle accounts...
Yang Mingzhi suppressed his curiosity and continued to listen.
At this time, Xu Qing also stood up. The Emperor of Chu continued to recommend Yang Mingzhi: "Xu Qing, the Marquis of Anding County and the dean of the Chu State's Commercial Academy, although he is young, is talented and is a good businessman.
The deputy peace envoy for this peace negotiation."